A fun take on the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, My Contrary Mary returns to the era of My Lade Jane, pre-Elizabethan Europe. Mary, despite her power as ruler of one kingdom and future queen of another, generally allows the adults in her life, from her scheming uncles to Catherine de Medici and her husband, to control her destiny. Her deepest secret - her ability to transform into a mouse - is protected by her friends and her fiancee. As history begins to unfold, the story allows Mary to take control of her destiny and change Europe. An exercise in historical wish-fulfillment, My Contrary Mary is an excellent diversion and great fun.

I loved The Lady Janies series. My Contrary Mary did not disappoint. I always love the twist that the author's take on history.

What I loved:
-- That it was about Mary, Queen of Scots!
-- The relationship development between Mary and Francis. They were engaged at the age of seven and have been the best of friends growing up. Mary has always thought of Francis platonically, while Francis has always loved Mary romantically. He has never pushed her for their marriage to be romantic and goes out of his way to support her and respect her. I really loved how Mary grew as a character and discovered that she really did love Francis. The whole progression of their romance was slow and sweet and felt genuine.
-- I loved Ari's role in the story and her growth as a character. For the majority of the book, Ari is torn between helping Mary, Queen of Scots or aiding Queen Catherine (who has asked her to spy on Mary). Ari wants to be loyal to Mary because she likes one of her ladies in waiting, but Queen Catherine threatens her with removal of her and her father.
--I also loved the role that prophecies played in the story. Her father (and Ari at times) foresaw the future in visions that didn't necessarily make sense until they happened. I liked how it foreshadowed what might happen in the story, but yet, as the reader, it didn't make sense until it occurred.
-- The story has a similar feel to My Lady Jane in the sense that Mary and Francis are forced to deal with the conflict between the Edians and Verities. France is very much against Edians, whereas the Scots harbor a lot of Edians and they are rising up to fight against the Verities. Mary and Francis struggle a bit because they have to keep the secret that Mary is an Edian (including all her ladies in waiting). With France opposed to Edians, it would not look good for Francis to marry one. The best part is that we get to see Jane, Gifford, and Edward again when Francis and Ari find themselves in England!
-- It was well paced in terms of plot and historical context as well as the authors' own humor.

I am beyond excited for the rest of this series and I cannot recommend it enough!

I remembered liking My Lady Jane by this group of authors a few years back and was happy to see that they had a new one coming out. This is very much in that same vein, a historically grounded retelling of the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, though a much happier version of what actually happened to her. I watched a few seasons of that CW show Reign, and there are some funny references to stuck into this book that I enjoyed. If you've read other books by Hand, Ashton, and Meadows and enjoyed them, you'll like this. It picks up on the Edian vs. Verity division (Mary in an Edian, but secretly). Just a fun retelling that you'll like if you wish Mary, Queen of Scots' life hadn't been so tragic.

So I had really always wanted to read the Jane series by these three authors, but didn’t get ARCs in time to review, and then just haven’t had the chance to pick them up. But when I saw this one on Netgalley, and after I binged the tv series Reign about Mary Queen of Scots earlier this year, I knew I had to read it.

As I mentioned, I haven’t read any of the Jane series, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as I started this. And so at first I was a little unsure how I was going to feel about it as I started reading. But once I got into it, I kind of enjoyed all the little extra bits in the parenthesis, reminded me a little of The Series of Unfortunate Events, but of course for an older reader. I also liked all the little pop culture references, one of the first ones was the “There’s just something about Mary” line. And then there was Nostradamus’s daughter’s visions, those were hilarious!

Also because I had watched the series Reign, I liked even things in this story that made me compare to that, how King Francis and Queen Mary wanted to be more accepting of others besides just their own religions, but at that time how it wasn’t what their nobles wanted, at least in France. I liked the little bits of history woven into the story, and honestly, knowing that a lot had been retold, just like with the tv series, this really made me want to go find a nonfiction historical book on Mary Queen of Scots to read.

It seems we even had one of the Janes show up in this story as well. A lot of fun, and I hope to read on in the series in the future, and possibly go back and read the original three as well.

Thanks to HarperTeen, NetGalley, and the authors for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title.

If you like the Lady Janies this is more of the same: light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek, lots of pop references, goofy, alternate history with YA-friendly diverse characters.

I had some serious mixed feelings. I was on board with the magic/shape shifting, and I enjoyed the alternate history (Mary's and Francis's actual real-life historical endings were a great deal more tragic, as in, completely the opposite of what happens here): the character arcs in this story ended satisfactorily, the way I wish (we all wish, probably) that they really had. I also felt that the main characters' emotions and actions were fairly on par for a pair of 16-year-olds getting married and ruling countries, even if they weren't what I would do (as a, ahem, much older person). I can't fault a couple of immature kids for being immature kids.

The problem was that I just felt that the constant author asides and tongue-in-cheek references really removed me from the story, to the point that I felt like I was watching a TV show with a person continuously making distracting comments and engaging me in side conversations. I would rather have just watched the TV show, you know? At this point in the series, I think that the authors' style is pretty much cemented in. And so, as fun as it was, I think it may be curtains for me on the series.

YMMV. Clearly this was a big hit with most of the other reviewers, so all the readers who aren't me will probably enjoy it quite a bit.

Ugh this was such FUN to read! This alternate history of Mary, Queen of Scots, is chock full of humor and pop culture references (seriously, so many, and while many of them are overt there are plenty you'll have to be paying attention to catch). If you've read any of the Jane series, you'll know that the authors don't take history too seriously- this one involves humans changing into animals, so truly it has only a bare relationship to historical fact- and they strive to give Mary a better ending than she truly had. This was lots of fun and I'm excited for the rest of the Mary series.

Thank you to HCC Frenzy for sending me an ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
5/5 stars

I’ve been highly anticipating this one because I loved the Jane books, and this one did not disappoint! We return to the world of My Lady Jane with the shapeshifters and tensions between the two groups. Although we see some familiar faces in this one from My Lady Jane, the story stands on its own and can be read without having read the other one. The narrators returned with their familiar style, and I loved all of it! The references, the asides, and the notes about silly things always make me smile and laugh, and it’s one of the things I love about these books. The pacing was good, and the characters felt distinct from each other.
Our narrators are at it again with their rewritten history and they’re telling the story of Mary Queen of Scots. Mary’s story was a wild ride full of emotions, laughs, betrayals, magic, and contrariness. I liked Mary’s character a lot, and I was rooting for her throughout the book.
Our next character is Ari, short for Aristotle, Nostradamus. Her father is the prognosticator for Catherine de Medici, and Ari is his heir. Unfortunately, she’s not great at the whole visions of the future thing, but she is good at potions. Ari’s visions had me laughing so much! One of my favourite parts of these books is the way they work in all the different references to pop culture, and they had me dying of laughter in this one. I liked Ari alright, but she wasn’t my favourite character. I wish that she’d stood up for herself more instead of just blindly following orders.
Our last character that we follow is Francis. He’s the heir to the throne of France and Mary’s betrothed. Francis was such a sweetheart, and I loved his growth through the book! He had a wild journey of his own, and I was really hoping everything would turn out okay for him!
Overall, this was an excellent read and if you’re a fan of the Jane books, or hilarious rewritings of history, then I’d recommend checking out My Contrary Mary!

When I saw that the authors of My Lady Jane were coming out with a new book, I knew I had to read it immediately! Taking place in the French Renaissance and rich with magic, this story is told from three points of view. Mary, Francis, and Ari were uniquely written, and I thoroughly enjoyed all sides of the story. This book is perfect for lovers of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. It was an excellent read, and I highly recommend it.

I received an advance copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

I think I would've much enjoyed this book without Mary being a shapeshifter even though I know it's the point of the book. I can still understand why it's a big deal but it's not for me.

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the “Mary” series and takes place in the same world as the “Lady Janies” books. I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review.

Story (3/5): This was okay. The last book I read by this author trio was "My Plain Jane" which was also okay. I keep thinking I am going to love these books but they are always kind of mediocre. This has the same light-hearted tone as "My Plain Jane" but follows Mary Queen of Scots. One of the Janies is in the story a tiny bit towards the end. Like The Lady Janies books this book is told from three viewpoints; Mary, Prince Louise, Ari (daughter of Nostradamus). Because of this type of layout the story feels a bit disjointed, drawn out, and long.

Characters (3/5): The characters are very over stereo-typed and the story is pretty simple and predictable. I didn’t really enjoy any of the characters all that much. There was too much lying to each other and sneaking around. All the characters are pretty shellfish and fall in kind of a grey morale area. Maybe it’s a good reflection of the times but I just felt kind of “eh, whatever” about them all. The lighthearted tone used throughout doesn’t lend itself to any sort of character depth and, as such, these characters feel very shallow.

Setting (3/5): The setting takes place in Renaissance France. We journey a bit between Scotland, England and France, but the vast majority of the story is in the French court. The history in here isn't all that accurate, which is fine. Don’t come into this thinking you’re going to learn a lot about the history or the time of the era. A lot of the settings are a bit over-modernized and made cutesy and YA friendly.

Writing Style (3/5): This is a cute, light-hearted, little read and ends well but is longer than it needed to be. Having the three viewpoints fractures the story and draws things out. Of course, of all of the books by this author trio have felt a bit disjointed and drawn out, so I should have expected that coming in. Technically it’s written fine and parts of it are entertaining, there just isn’t a lot of substance here and it’s not the most engaging read.

My Summary (3/5): Overall, aside from the above I don't have much to say about this, it was completely “eh, okay...moving on” to me. If you enjoyed the format and tone of the The Lady Janies books (which I wasn't a huge fan of) you will probably enjoy this book because it's very similar. I don't plan on reading any more of these types of books from this trio, I just don't think they are that well done. I knew that going in, but kind of forgot it, and really keep thinking I will love these books...which I know I won't but whatever, maybe this time I will learn from my mistakes.

I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't get into the story. I thought at first it might have been that I was listening to the audio galley so I switched to the ebook but it just wasn't drawing me into the story. I was enjoying the premise but the writing style just wasn't pulling me in, it could have been that there are multiple authors.

I’m so upset because I really wanted to like this book since I loved the Plain Jane series, but I just couldn’t get into it. I almost DNFed My Contrary Mary several times while reading it but I pushed through to see how it would end. I didn’t really connect with or totally love the main characters, Mary and Francis and I don’t have a high opinion about the side characters either. I’m not saying this book is totally horrible. It still had funny parts and I love when the narrators break the fourth wall, but it was just okay for me. COMES OUT JUNE 22ND

*Thank you to @netgalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.*

This is everything I loved about the Janies series and then some. The voice is witty and light, and I absolutely love all the reference to modern day pop culture, especially Ari's visions. It was great to have new character and a welcome surprise to see some old ones in the last 25% of the book. This is a perfect opener for the Mary series.

3.5 stars rounded up. I’m kind of disappointed because I LOVED My Lady Jane and My Plain Jane. I never finished My Calamity Jane due to having a baby and it being significantly harder to read a physical book as opposed to an ebook or audiobook while holding her, but I’ll get there... and I was really enjoying it. This one, though... this one wasn’t doing it for me as much. It was funny, but I feel like I was bored because the plot twists, like, weren’t? I’ve also seen a lot of the show Reign, so I knew more of the historical context going in? I’m not sure, I just wasn’t quite as compelled.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I was really looking forward to this book, because I have heard so much about the author, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The humor, sass, and history-remix of My Lady Jane immediately drew me to the title, but now, four books into this series, I am beginning to wonder if maybe the Lady Janies should try something new. The story of Mary Queen of Scots doesn’t grow and flourish in this reimagining that includes animal transformation, and fans of My Lady Jane will see so many similarities (I mean,it is literally the same world) that they’ll be underwhelmed. Even as a fan of royalty and humor in my royal reads, I found this to be a rather disappointing tale that didn’t add much to the story, save Mary’s reputation, or anything in between. The only thing this book made me want to do is rewatch Reign.

Like their other books, this book is also told in 3 POVs: Mary, Francis, and Aristotle Nostradamus, the daughter of Nostradamus.

Our Mary here is Mary Queen of Scots, and we meet her as a teenager in France, right before she weds Francis. She’s got her four ladies in waiting–also named Mary–and oh yeah, she can turn into a mouse. We’re back in the Edian realm first visited in My Lady Jane and if you’re expecting something new in this one…take a seat. Anyway, King Henry decides that Mary and Francis must be wed, and it’s clear that political mechanizations are underfoot. There’s Catherine de Medici, for one, who is using Nostradamus and his daughter to spy on Mary and craft potions. There’s Mary’s scheming uncles. And there’s Francis and Mary’s awkward friendship-not-quite-love to contend with as well. Of course, things begin to go drastically wrong quickly, there are princes turned into frogs, marriages and stopped weddings and trips across the English channel as a bird and people faking their own deaths and grasping for crowns, etc etc etc.

This book has the usual Edian-animal transformation plot, some good ole deux-ex-machinas, and the insertion of humorous narrators and pop culture references a few centuries too early, but it doesn’t have the same oomph and awe that it does in My Lady Jane, or even My Plain Jane. This book just feels…forced, at times, and like the “narrators” are absent half the time. It covers a LOT of time and is weirdly paced in places. The Edian subplot felt disjointed as well–like it was just added in because it was the same “world” as My Lady Jane rather than offering a new way to approach the Mary Queen of Scots story and take it new places. “Oh they aren’t dead, they’re just hiding as an animal” is only cool the first three times, at most. I LIKE the story of Mary Queen of Scots and don’t feel like she needs “redeemed” in the same ways as the Janes they approached, but I also feel like other than the animal-shapeshifting thing and not ending up dead at the end of this book…not much was done to make this remix remixed. The introduction of Ari Nostradamus could have been cool…there was a nice little lesbian subplot, but ultimately it was a means to an end and didn’t really enhance the story other than making some of the plot things possible through potion.

Overall..eh. Like 3.3 stars. Not bad writing, at times, but hardly worth the time it took me to read this, and I say that as an ARDENT fan of My Lady Jane. Maybe it’s time to try something new.

Well the trio is back with another lady from history.
I have read enjoyed other Cynthia Hand stories as well as the ‘My Lady Jane’ series written by these three.
Our lady in this story is Mary Queen of Scots ~ yes the notorious historical ‘beheaded’ character ~ story follows her and Prince Francis of France.
Story takes on some fantasy ( perhaps more than ‘some’~ in other words this story is a bit different from the way you remember it happening in any of the history books you have read. Our authors weren’t pleased with Mary’s tragedies and decided to change up the ending.).

If you read and enjoyed “My Lady Jane’ you will be pleased at the characters from that story make an appearance ~ a cameo appearance!
The four Marys’ will have you laughing. Mary Fleming ~ Flem; Mary Beaton ~ Bea; Mary Livingston ~ Liv; and Mary Seton ~ Hush,

I won’t tell you that this is hilarious as I usually roll my eyes when someone describes a story that way. It is humorous and I am sure you will find it a fun read!
Want to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Book Harper Teen for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for my honest professional opinion.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 22, 2021

This book was sooo fun!!! I would say that out of all of the books by these authors, this was definitely my fave! I adored the characters, and in typical Lady Janies fashion, it made me laugh, which we love. I felt that the pacing was pretty good, especially compared to their other books. I also loved the little inception moments :) However, I did find it a bit cheesy at times, which pulled me out of the story.

Hand, Ashton, and Meadows are at it again. After finishing their delightful retelling of famous Jane's series they are now moving on to Mary's and to start we get a much needed happily ever after for Mary, Queen of Scots. Of course they keep with the multiple POV's, which I enjoy, and give history a turn on it's head with shapeshifters. The authors keep up their entertaining commentary throughout the book as the narrators and the book roughly follows the historical trail when it appeases them. This was not my favorite of the books but kept me entertained.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in return for an honest review.

This book was absolutely delightful. From the Bash cameo to the jokes about what could have been if she were to marry Darnley. Even the brexit joke was beautifully done. Good for a laugh and more historically accurate than one would expect....well for the most part.